His late paternal grandfather, Jolly Joe Kiwanuka, was a Ugandan politician who was murdered by dictator Idi Amin in the early 1970s.

[4] Kiryowa spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, where the family lived in political exile, before returning to Uganda in 1980.

[4] Kiryowa Kiwanuka graduated from Makerere University, with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

[4][5] Prior to his current appointment, Kiwanuka was a founding Partner of K and K Advocates & Solicitors Uganda, a privately owned Kampala law firm.

[4] Kiryowa Kiwanuka serves on the board of directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, since 2015.